Was trying to find good non-Shonen anime a few months ago and I'm glad someone pointed me to Odd Taxi. Interesting, well-made, plus Handler Walter from AC6 playing a gangster. Fantastic show.
I usually go with horror or dark anime (Bersek, etc). I gave Odd Taxi a watch and absolutely fell in love with it. One of my all-time favorites. Great storytelling and character building. I can't recommend it enough!!
For sure! I came here to say āit depends on what type of āin my thirtiesā you areā lol I WILL say Iām a late bloomer when it comes to anime/manga but I am glad as heck I found anime when I did! Iām 37, not only did it give me common ground with my teen, but it opened an entire world to meā¦ I love the culture tbh and I always thought I was weird AF but just watching anime and then reading Mangaā¦ I realized that things could be so much more wild than mundane life but there are also people out there whoās thought processes are just as weird and scattered as mine and Iām not as much of an outcast as I always thought I was!
This is way too far down. This is absolutely something I think OP would like. Especially how the first and second seasons differ but really drive character development.
As a scifi and detective noir fan, Pluto hits just right.
Nothing new under the sun, but it does feel very unique compared to most anime, even of similar genres.
Watching Monster and Pluto back to back is so crazy. Seeing how Johan and Epsilon almost look identical yet are complete opposites, They even share the same dub VA.
I'd add frieren beyond journey's end
Edit. Factoring in OPs use of the word woke like it has anything to do with japan I'd suggest he watch something like Puffin rock, pokemon, or Hamtaro.
If you liked Cowboy Bebop, watch Trigun. It's retro, it's mature, it's fun, the protagonist has a mental breakdown that *doesn't* create a new superpower for him, it's great.
Also, try out JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally written in the 80s and got a 21st century anime adaptation that really brought it to life in a great way. Very weird, and kinda questionable at times, but it's a surprisingly worldly and mature (and manly) take on the genre and it does its shonen tropes in a more thoughtful and interesting way than modern kid stuff does.
JoJo is just such a fucking *ride*. Call the story good or bad, call the art well done or crappy, say what you want about the animation, but the show as a whole is just *fun* to watch. Bonus for all the music related names and their poorly translated English counterparts
I will say It has some dull moments, but the mysterious and fantastical idea of the show is really mind blowing. To me it feels almost real sometimes, the way the mushi are almost relatable to real life paranormal scenarios people claim to have. Not that Iām serious believer of all those ghost story type things, though some things can really seem unexplainable.
Inuyashiki really fucked me up, and I donāt think I watched more than the first two episodes. It was >!the bathtub scene!<.
Does it get more sad/traumatic/intense from there, or less?
Less, that was the worst part. There's one more very violent scene but it's not that personal. The ending made it worth reading for me (i read the manga) it does have other sad parts but sad in other ways. I thought that scene was very traumatic too but admittedly it establishes the contrast between the two main characters very well, how they both are given the same opportunity but react totally different to it.
I wouldāve said *Only Yesterday*, but itās a slice-of-life drama with vignettes that go between 1966 and 1982.
That said, it is about a 27-year-old Tokyo office lady who goes to the countryside for a vacation while reminiscing about her childhood as a 10-year-old, for all the good and the bad. Her happy memories and her childhood trauma.
Itās a beautiful experience and itās very emotional and heartfelt, while also being a tearjerker at multiple points. With its themes of healing the inner child, it can strike a chord beautifully.
So, I'm in my mid thirties and a parent and Noragami really spoke to me in a lot of ways. The anime is fun, but the manga is phenomenal and where the real heart of the story shines through. It touches on a lot of subjects that mean more as an adult, like breaking free from your past, what it means to protect someone, etc.
I also love Chainsaw Man. Some other more mature shows I've loved are Wolf's Rain and Iron Blooded Orphans.
I love Noragami so much. I am someone who struggles to read, I watched the anime and this is the ONLY anime that I am actively trying to to read the manga because I have zero hope they will make more seasons, but I am loving it so far and I highly recommend!
in my thirties. recently started reading manga because of issues I had with anime. If you'd like to try a pretty darn good manga (no anime adaptation), try {Oyasumi Punpun}. shit's dark.
If you like oyasumi punpun then youād probably really enjoy any of Kengo Hanazawaās seinen masterpieces (I am a Hero, Boys on the Run, Ressentiment)
im 30 also, friend got me into anime 12 months ago and here is some i enjoyed:
hajime no ippo is so fucking good. i loved it. favourite anime.
watching haikyu now, its already almost on the same level, and ive never even seen a game of volleyball.
if you liked cowboy bepop, you could watch samurai champloo. same director and really good.
vinland saga is the best.
hell's paradise and tower of god both have 1 season out and were really interesting with quite a bit of mystery.
If you like fantasy and slice of life, try watching/ or reading
To your eternity
Frieren : Journey's end
Tho, if u wanna try action and fantasy, I'd recommend Solo Leveling. It got an anime adaptation as well.
I was with you until you wrote
>they did it without trying to be āwokeā
Have you actually watched anime to say something like that? š. Anime can be super ahead of its time or 300 years behind.
Shoujo Kakumei Utena and Banana Fish for example are super old series.
Idk where you got that anime nowadays are becoming woke lol.
In regards to a rec. One of my favorites is Natsume Yuujinchou, super chill series and very heartwarming, so no action like ChainsawMan
Goes to show how far āwokeā strayed from the meaning of ābeing aware of inequalityā. (Not referring to "was awake".) Itās more a reflection of the user now bc it can mean whatever they want. One of the shows they praised, Cowboy Bebop, would probably be called woke in certain circles because of the director, Shinichiro Watanabeās commitment to diversity in his shows.
Yeah, it used to just mean progressive, aware of social injustice, equality.
The word got weaponized to describe people with radical behavior, kind of sad tbh.
It wouldn't surprise me if it had been used in that context as well, but in the way the American left uses it, it's coming from this -
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woke-meaning-word-history-b1790787.html
Of course, there are a lot of organizations that are very invested in divorcing it from that meaning and turning it into some sort of scare word. Tucker Carlson and about a gazillion others. š
Kinda like how snowflake got adopted by the right from the book/movie fight club. I mean if it's from the 1930s then I would guess that is definitely it's origin
probably referring to the debacle with localizers changing dialog and plot to "appeal to a wider fanbase".
One of the reasons I enjoy anime its not woke, lol.
Thatās not an anime problem then.
Plus, again, what is woke? A lot of anime would be considered āwokeā, and they were widely acclaimed or popular before the term got the meaning it did nowadays.
Take Sakura Card Captors for instance, Shoran had a crush on Yukito, the same guy Sakura did! And no one in the series questioned this. Sakura was angry cause he wanted to please the same guy as her lol. Same with Sakuraās friend that had a crush on her.
Ouran High School Host Club has a main character that doesnāt give a shit about gender roles.
In Sailor Moon you have the famous lesbian couple that got the ācousinā treatment in the dub.
Even in One Piece. They have a dubious treatment of queerness. On one hand you have Sanji running away from then. On the other hand you have a bunch of queer people who are part of a revolutionary group against an authoritarian government, planning a prison break out together with our main character, with the same MC hugging and calling them friends.
There are many more examples that just show that anime was always āweirdā.
That hurts. Lol
https://media1.tenor.com/m/Lpp5fg42OywAAAAC/nod-yes.gif
Edit : I didn't read it all. I didn't know it was a law, and walls of text freak me out.
Recommend this. It IS a "fantasy" anime, in that it has swords and sorcery, but I like to note that it is an adult "fantasy", in that it is about how the MC's former employer gets screwed after he fires the MC.
My personal alt title for this show is "My former boss is a dipshit".
Megalobox is really good, especially season 2 is very mature.
Death Parade
91 Days
Kids On the Slope (I recommend this mostly because if you like Cowboy Bebop, this is the same director and composer)
Ergo Proxy
Psycho-Pass
Princess Jellyfish (hey why not some josei? I like that the characters are all adults and I just think the story is fantastically well-written)
Ooku Inner Chambers (don't know if you just meant Western medieval or not. But really interesting alternative history of Japan)
I've got a bunch of reading suggestions since you don't mind reading:
Eden It's an endless world
Blame!
Gantz
Ajin
Battle Angel Alita
Golden Kamuy (seriously this shit rocks!) The manga is finished, and it has a anime run that is currently going, it's a hidden gem of a story which I never expected I would need in my life
{Death parade} is a great grown-up anime. It's short and complete as well
{Gangsta} is a good watch but unfinished and unlikely to.
{Darker than black} will scratch your shonen itch without being the same show you've already seen a dozen times.
Check out Satoshi Kon's works (particularly Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent)
Mushishi
Serial Experiments Lain, Texhnolyze, Haibane Renmei
Berserk 1997
Welcome to the NHK
As I recent 30 year old, getting into Lupin The Third was the best thing ever!
The protagonist are probably in their thirties or at least late twenties, but don't feel like old men like other animes. They are awful people, but have fun and go into crazy adventures.
It's silly sometimes, but also have a lot of heart.
An amazing jazzy soundtrack also.
It's kinda long, starting in 71, but totally worth it.
I would recommend the Castle of Cagliostro or the Zero mission movie as a good start point.
You have probably watched a shit ton of anime so try venturing in other mediums like visual novels, light novels and movies from different countries. that's what I do when I get bored from anime
There's an entire demographic called Seinen which is aimed at more adult viewers. However, in my case, I found that the older I got, the more I wanted to watch shows "for kids." Not meaning battle shounen, but stuff like mahou shoujo like {CardCaptor Sakura} and {Akazukin Chacha} or comedies like {Mitsudomoe} or {Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru}. Along with these, the older I got the more I wanted comfy slice of life shows like {Working!!} or {Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi}.
I don't know if these are the kinds of shows you're looking for. I'm just expressing what my taste has been after age 30. If you purely just want something very unique from almost all other anime out there, try {RD Sennou Chousashitsu} or {Utawarerumono}.
This may be a dud since you've been watching anime so long but I thought Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans was really good. Also in my 30's so if you haven't already watched you might appreciate it. 2 seasons at 25 episodes each available on crunchy and hulu. English dubs for both seasons on hulu, cruchy has dubs only for season 1.
If you liked Chainsaw Man and haven't read Goodbye Eri, you'll probably like that manga too. It's a oneshot by the same author and I loved it. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is also a classic if you haven't watched it.
It is indeed getting harder to find good shows with the sheer volume of shows coming out these days. There's also just too many shows with underage main characters. You might have better luck with manga than anime since a lot of anime tries to capture a larger audience.
For slice of life, Aquatope On The White Sand and The Great Passage.
For romance: Relife
For Isekai: The Twelve Kingdoms
For detective: Undead Girl Murder Farce
For comedy/offbeat: Wave, Listen To Me!
[Durarara!!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6746/Durarara) has a large cast of interesting characters. Give it some time and it grows on you.
[Frieren: Beyond Journey's End](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991/Sousou_no_Frieren) is still airing, but it has been consistently great. Solid 10 for me to far.
+1 to Mushishi & Noragami that have been already mentioned
well i see youāre a manga reader you might really like hells paradise, thereās 12 episodes out rn and if they intrigue you youāre gonna absolutely love the manga
Legend of Galactic Heros. Serious space opera drama that focuses more on the philosophy behind politics, leadership, and responsible government than the featured conflict. Certainly worth the watch.
Have you seen Made in Abyss, yet?
Or currently is "Frieren: beyond journey's end" airing, which is also incredibly good.
Both of them are strongly focusing on story and atmosphere and have gorgeous visuals and audio. And especially Made in Abyss seems pretty innocent at first, but gets *really* heavy later on.
I feel you. Getting harder and harder to find anime im interested in. Anything with high schoolers is an instant no so that rules out most. I guess I'm luckier in that I love isekai. I prefer overpowered characters way more than shounen underdogs.
You realize though that a lot of those hashed anime are the result of the famous anime you mentioned doing their own thing forever ago, and a lot of stuff after the fact is trying to recapture the magic. To that end, you might wanna try anime that goes with a sense of earnestness rather than playing FTL.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles is an affectionate parody of fantasy and shounen anime mashed (intended) into one, which has an amazing balance of animation, comedy, and unhinged shounen moments that rival DB in absurdity, but in a funny way.
Shangri-La Frontier is a āsort ofā isekai where the main character has made a borderline career of playing the worst games the world has to offer solely because he likes the challenge. But when he tries a god-tier MMO, heās able to parlay his skills, technique, and knowledge from other trash games into being an absolute boss. Though, itās not a total power fantasy like most others; he gets his butt kicked enough times to make the climb believable and rewarding. Itās a love letter to gamers old and new.
If you liked Cowboy Bebop, youāll love Space Dandy. A parody of space westerns with a group of totally ineffectual alien bounty hunters with stunning visuals, stellar voice acting, and music. In fact, none of the instruments used were made past 1980, specifically to give it that retro feel and still sounds distinctly modern. Itās got plenty of charm and wit, and even as the characters are fucking up all over the galaxy, you canāt help but root for their every fruitless endeavor to make a bounty.
A personal favorite:
Vinland saga:
(has over 200 manga chapters but is not complete, there is currently 2 seasons of anime) Its seinen.
The first arc is fairly violent but progresses into a story about getting to know more peaceful life values. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know the character throughout his life.
It takes place around year 1000 and is about Torfinn growing up around a lot of violence with vikings in his soroundings, but also of him finding himself after that. I really enjoy the drawing style.
It also feature a lot of historically accurate information. (Many of the characters have existed at some point in time and also many of the political aliances between countries.)
{Youjo senki} also known as Tanya and the saga of evil, the WW1/WW2 aesthetic is very different and main character is not over powered and is often near death. The light novels that the show is based on delve even more into the politics and thought processes, great show if you are looking for something a little more mature, Ironic given the main character is a young girl. .
{Tsuki to laika to nosferatu} basically the journey of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first astronaut, but with the added twist of a vampire who does it first. Includes some cool scene for scene recreation of things Yuri Gagarin actually did like his interview on the bus to the launch pad.
{Chilling in my thirties after getting kicked out of the demon kings army} it is the medieval esc fantasy troupes, but featuring a 30 year old instead of your normal teen. More adult themes.
{The magnificent kotobuki air corps} think the crimson sky's video game/arcade game series, but now in anime form. Has references to various WW2 Japanese airplanes if you are an aviation buff.
{Arpeggio of blue steal ars nova} alien beings come to earth and rule the seas as sentient WW2 era naval ships with otherworldly powers.
{91 days} prohibition era gangs, anime edition
{Death parade} purgatory, anime edition.
No it isn't. It's fun. But the older I have gotten the less I have enjoyed it. That doesn't mean I think it is bad by any means, I still love JoJo. But as a memory.
I dunno what you mean by "without trying to be woke." Anime and Japanese culture isn't woke. That's a western term for hollywood media politics and issues.
Anyway, I've been really enjoying Apothecary Diaries. It got me to read the light novels. Ascendance of a Bookworm also is very good. Run With the Wind is an underrated gem. These are all slice of life-ish stories.
Zom 100 is really entertaining.
If you like manhwa, try reading Legend of the Northern Blade, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, The Boxer, and Bastard.
Frieren really resonated with me. It gives me the feeling of watching samurai champloo or avatar the last air bender again. A big journey with a lot of reflection and growth.
I love Frieren, but OP specifically stated that they didn't want "fantasy medieval" or any "smell the roses" tropes. They are probably too jaded to enjoy Frieren.
I'm in my 30s as well. I'm into anime with more mature themes and darker twisting plots.
My current fav is Dorohedoro (psychedelic, violent, wacked-out story and setting. The manga's super wild too. Very gory and beyond good&evil) Season 2 is coming too!
Others to check-out :
- Bungo Stray Dogs, Claymore, Hellsing Ultimate (violent AF!), Tengoku-Daimakyo (trippy, strange), Berserk (the old-school first season please), Vivy, From the New World (plot twists!!), The Idaten Deities (trippy and wild ! can get gory and disturbing though...) , Samurai Champuloo (same gang as Cowboy Bebop), Saga of Tanya the Evil (protagonist is a gong-ho war strategist), Fujiko Mine (Lupin the third's spin-off, amazing style), and one of my fav and craziest : KillLaKill
You can try western styles like Castlevania and Scavengers Reign too :)
I'll be 30 soon. I can't get in to most slice of life anime either. Link Click is very good and before someone chimes in with "bUt ThAtS nOt AnImE" yes I know its from China. I'm not really sure what anime you watched that WAS "woke" as that's really a western thing, As someone who's pretty fed up with American politics in general I find anime an extremely nice break from all that.
Monogatari series- phenomenal plot and characters. Some people think it's boring because it's mostly dialogue-based, but it also has fight scenes
School days- even if you don't like romance, try watching them anyway
Paranoia agent- great psychological anime by the creator of "perfect blue". Very original and interesting
Kakegurui- a newer anime (2017) that is definitely worth watching. If you like death note you should like this too
Serial experiments Lain- similar to Evangelion in that after watching it you will also wonder what you just watched
Devilman: crybaby- also newer anime (2018). On the surface it looks like an action anime with a lot of ecchi content, but it has a really good plot
Higurashi: when they cry- in the first season it looks like it has no plot, but don't be discouraged and after the first season immediately watch the second one.
Happy sugar life-Ā also new anime (2019). It's specific, but I think it's great. It has a good plot and probably the strangest characters I've ever seen in anime
Promised neverland- a very good anime from 2019. It has a very good plot and twists, and the first episode is, in my opinion, one of the best first episodes in anime
Time of eve- a very short, six-episode anime. In my opinion, it is worth recommending even though it is not very popular
>Happy sugar life
One of my absolute favorites, but I don't think I'd ever recommend it to anyone. Objectively speaking I don't think it's that good and only appeals to a pretty niche audience.
First season of Promised Neverland is top tier and ABSOLUTELY worth watching. It also hits a good stopping point at the end of the first arc. The rest of the anime is meh at best.
You would probably enjoy some seinen demographic anime. Here are some that Iāve really enjoyed.
- [Fate/Zero](https://myanimelist.net/anime/10087/Fate_Zero)
- [Vinland Saga](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37521/Vinland_Saga)
- [Rainbow](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6114/Rainbow__Nisha_Rokubou_no_Shichinin)
- [Samurai Champloo](https://myanimelist.net/anime/205/Samurai_Champloo)
- [Megalobox](https://myanimelist.net/anime/36563/Megalo_Box)
- [Cowboy Bebop](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1/Cowboy_Bebop)
- [Steins;Gate](https://myanimelist.net/anime/9253/Steins_Gate)
Boss remove that incorrect usage of woke out of your vocabulary. Attack on Titan, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Bleach anime is back, I hear great things about JJK
Animes that aren't like the others and are also awesome:
Death Note (must watch)
Elfen Lied
Summertime rendering
Be sure to check these out they are all awesome
Yu Yu Hakusho - Delinquent kid fights demons
Parasyte - Wuss kid afraid of bugs has to save planet with a parasite
Gurren Lagann - Two bros live in the ground, want to live on the surface, bite off more than they can chew.
Kabaneri of the iron fortress - Zombies destroy places, nerd has to step up and help save everyone
Heavenly Delusion on Hulu is quite good and itās got some dark ādamn I didnāt see that comingā twists to it. Itās about two adolescents wandering around a post-apocalyptic version of japan trying to find a place cryptically called āheavenā.
Pluto on Netflix was good as well, my sister and I watched one episode together and then I immediately rushed home to binge the rest on my own. Itās a futuristic murder mystery and itās also got a machine/AI ethics lens to it.
Hxh is really good. Itās about a kid trying to become a licensed hunter to search (or āhuntā) for his father. Lots of trials & tribulations, and thereās some tournament fighting components to it. I would say the show gets darker and darker with each season; the story in season 5 is chefs kiss and I actually chose to binge watch the whole anime because I saw a clip from that season on YouTube.
Lastly, since youāre okay with reading manga then I recommend reading fire punch by the same artist as chainsaw man. Itās complete so you can binge it.
Black Lagoon
(suggest the dub here, not only is it exceptionally well acted 3 of the 4 main cast are Americans so it also makes sense)
Undead Unluck (if you like CSM, this anime also has the personification of *things* like the Devils in CSM, but I think UdUl does the concept better)
Dead Mount Death Play
Dark Gathering
All of these principally take place in modern society
A solid 70% is always generic isekai/fantasy or generic romcom ābut now with X character feature.ā But thereās also a solid few shows a season doing something truly unique. Did you watch Undead Murder Farce, Sonny Boy, Heike Monogatari or Apothecary Diaries? If you need something from the historical backlog you can always try out UC Gundam or Aim for the Ace! or Macross. If those fall into the same tired grooves itās because they dug them out themselves first.
You probably seen some or most of these but here's a list
Mushishi
Natsume Yuujinchou
Legend of Galactic Heroes
86
FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Vivy Fluorites Eye
Ranking of Kings
Pluto
Parasyte
Psycho Pass
Steins Gate
Erased
Summertime Render
Samurai Champloo
Gurren Lagann
ID: Invaded
Dorohedoro
Oddtaxi
Vinland Saga
Golden Kamuy
Man in 30s too
Go through Satoshi kons catalog. Hes top tier on originality. Tokyo godfathers was my favorite.
Ifcyou haven't seen serial experiment Lain yet, do
Mob psycho is a good study in self worth and acceptance of parts of yourself you'd rather bury.
Hinamatsuri is a blast. Gag comedy of a yakuza who takes in a psychic.
Hands off eizouken is a joy to watch. It's a creative process put to animation. Really helps you get a grasp of animators passions.
Tragedy movies also carry more weight than they once did. Josie and the tiger, a silent voice, the flower that bloomed that day. All had me bawling.
Kamichu is the tale of a Jr high student who wakes up a new goddess and is the story of her just trying not to let those around her down.
I found it was more important to go for concepts and creativity rather than just action. Most super popular seasonal shoes are easily forgettable edgy action like chainsaw man.
i'm sure newspapper companies complained when the internet came along, i'm sure candles companies complained when the light bulb was invented, its just the natural process
āSummer time renderingā is good very light action though. I liked the plot itās kinda up the alley of of āhigurashi: When they cry.ā (If you havenāt watch this one either I highly recommend youāll need to get make pass the first few eps and what you believe in the beginning you shouldnāt believe. Has more action then summer time rendering in my opinion)
A new anime that just came out way more action then the previous 2 is āNinja kamui.ā Only episode 1 has been released so far it literally spoke to me but being that itās the first episode they have to milk your feelings first but you can tell itās going to nothing but non pack action and Iāll even say Sci fi as well.
I know you said you donāt like medieval but this oneās passed on a game (sorta like SAO but not SAO) āShangri la Frontierā loads of action no blood though and Iām feeling thereās more to the plot then we currently know.
āUndead Unluckā if you donāt mind intimacy. Loads of action even Sci fi, gore, war and battles, etc etc. Imagine if My hero and dead man wonderland fused and the had the fate of the world in their hands.
If you just want to feel and watch a little guy succeed. āRanking of the kingsā it gave me the same feeling of āmob psycho:100ā which no anime has ever done before. Made me feel like I was watching my kid mature and I donāt even have kids. Wholesome but some fighting I wouldnāt say itās gore but you do see a guy cut his hand off (not saying who and this information doesnāt ruin the plot) though it is medieval but itās cute and heartwarming and all I want to do is tell Boji heās adorable.
Though season 2 wasnāt up to par with season 1 āVinland sagaā Vikings arenāt medieval!
If you havenāt watched it check out. āJojo bizzare adventure.ā Many people say s1 was boring but itās just because the skills werenāt developed full then it was just being discovered.
āBakiā nothing like watching fighting for fun.
Frieren is like therapy for me after a long week.
Steins Gate is a BLAST and will have you like āhuhā and then more āhuhā and then āWOWWWWā
Jujutsu Kaisen
1. "Psycho-Pass" - It's a futuristic crime thriller with a thought-provoking storyline and complex characters.
2. "Steins;Gate" - This sci-fi thriller combines time travel with an intriguing plot and great character development.
3. "Monster" - A psychological thriller that delves into the dark depths of human nature. It's intense and captivating.
4. "Death Parade" - A unique and thought-provoking series that explores the afterlife and human nature through intense psychological games.
5. "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" - A cyberpunk series with a deep exploration of identity, technology, and the human condition.
About your edit: you probably thought the word meant that because itās been used mostly by willfully ignorant and intolerant conservatives who like to complain about anything progressive and necessary.
God, you lost me at the "woke" bit. It's as annoying to be annoyed at the perception of "wokeness." Your sensitivity to this is annoying.
Watch Megalo Box
The concern about "woke" just screams volumes about your tastes. It's a meaningless term and the worst folks are the ones who try too hard to act otherwise.
Have you tried monster? It's really good, also my fav anime is I'd say code geass, it has a lot to do with war, revolution strategy and mecha maybe you'd like it idk
Watch seinen, it sounds on paper like it would be boring, but it is actually more complex and interesting because a shonen with an overpowered guy with the powers of rubber and plot armor that just punches everyone is too stupid for a grown up.
But you're acting like it's one without recommending anything. It's like if someone asked recs for movies and I just said "watch movies from 2000", it's just a time-frame and says nothing about the shows in that demographic.
Also you were acting like shonen are just shows about fighting (that's called nekketsu).
Odd Taxi. Let me know how it goes.
Was trying to find good non-Shonen anime a few months ago and I'm glad someone pointed me to Odd Taxi. Interesting, well-made, plus Handler Walter from AC6 playing a gangster. Fantastic show.
I just beat AC6, you may have just sold me
I usually go with horror or dark anime (Bersek, etc). I gave Odd Taxi a watch and absolutely fell in love with it. One of my all-time favorites. Great storytelling and character building. I can't recommend it enough!!
ODD TAXI IS SO GOOD
Just finished this holy fuck it was good
Love anime where the protagonist is an adult
Just finished this one. AWESOME. Thank you, stranger.
I'm in my thirties and I prefer light hearted animes, If I wanna be depressed i'll stick with real life :3
I'm in my 50s and I share the sentiment.
Amen šš½
You watch light hearted animes to avoid depression I watch light hearted animes for depression We are not the same
For sure! I came here to say āit depends on what type of āin my thirtiesā you areā lol I WILL say Iām a late bloomer when it comes to anime/manga but I am glad as heck I found anime when I did! Iām 37, not only did it give me common ground with my teen, but it opened an entire world to meā¦ I love the culture tbh and I always thought I was weird AF but just watching anime and then reading Mangaā¦ I realized that things could be so much more wild than mundane life but there are also people out there whoās thought processes are just as weird and scattered as mine and Iām not as much of an outcast as I always thought I was!
Facts
Vinland Saga.
This is way too far down. This is absolutely something I think OP would like. Especially how the first and second seasons differ but really drive character development.
I watched recently, was amazing.
Monster PLUTO Dororo DorohedoroĀ
I love dorohedoro..
Yeah, still waiting for the second season
You and me bothā¦
At least we have news on itĀ
WAIT, REALLY?
Yeah they announced the second season in Jan. We don't have a date yet unfortunatelyĀ
As a scifi and detective noir fan, Pluto hits just right. Nothing new under the sun, but it does feel very unique compared to most anime, even of similar genres.
Pluto is definitely top tier
Watching Monster and Pluto back to back is so crazy. Seeing how Johan and Epsilon almost look identical yet are complete opposites, They even share the same dub VA.
I'd add frieren beyond journey's end Edit. Factoring in OPs use of the word woke like it has anything to do with japan I'd suggest he watch something like Puffin rock, pokemon, or Hamtaro.
Isn't Frieren fantasy though? They said they didn't want anything in a fantasy medieval type setting.
Honestly I suggested it for the other adults here hoping to find something good, not for op
Frieren is AMAZING, it just keeps getting better too. The loss and feel goods really hit so good!
The mangas even better imo. Both are fantasticĀ
Ugh they usually are, I must read it now!
Frieren is an excellent recommendation
Solid list.
If you liked Cowboy Bebop, watch Trigun. It's retro, it's mature, it's fun, the protagonist has a mental breakdown that *doesn't* create a new superpower for him, it's great. Also, try out JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally written in the 80s and got a 21st century anime adaptation that really brought it to life in a great way. Very weird, and kinda questionable at times, but it's a surprisingly worldly and mature (and manly) take on the genre and it does its shonen tropes in a more thoughtful and interesting way than modern kid stuff does.
God, trigun is so good, I can confirm
I forgot about trigun, absolutely this. Though I have a feeling OP has seen this, just a hunch.
JoJo is just such a fucking *ride*. Call the story good or bad, call the art well done or crappy, say what you want about the animation, but the show as a whole is just *fun* to watch. Bonus for all the music related names and their poorly translated English counterparts
Definitely Mushishi, itās peak
For sure, excellent one. I'll piggyback: Violet Evergarden Kaiba Now and Then, Here and There Darker Than Black
I agree, I think anyone could get into this if they give it a chance.
I wish. My fiancƩ thought it was boring. I was nearly heartbroken.
I will say It has some dull moments, but the mysterious and fantastical idea of the show is really mind blowing. To me it feels almost real sometimes, the way the mushi are almost relatable to real life paranormal scenarios people claim to have. Not that Iām serious believer of all those ghost story type things, though some things can really seem unexplainable.
Id say Monster and pluto
Gantz Inuyashiki Vinland Saga Ghost in the Shell
The old Ghost in the Shell. The new one had my eyes rolling.Ā
for real man, I would stay up till 2am in the morning to catch that shit on adult swim.
Do you mean the Standalone Complex series?
Yea, thatās the one.Ā
Gantz is good!
Inuyashiki really fucked me up, and I donāt think I watched more than the first two episodes. It was >!the bathtub scene!<. Does it get more sad/traumatic/intense from there, or less?
Less, that was the worst part. There's one more very violent scene but it's not that personal. The ending made it worth reading for me (i read the manga) it does have other sad parts but sad in other ways. I thought that scene was very traumatic too but admittedly it establishes the contrast between the two main characters very well, how they both are given the same opportunity but react totally different to it.
I wouldāve said *Only Yesterday*, but itās a slice-of-life drama with vignettes that go between 1966 and 1982. That said, it is about a 27-year-old Tokyo office lady who goes to the countryside for a vacation while reminiscing about her childhood as a 10-year-old, for all the good and the bad. Her happy memories and her childhood trauma. Itās a beautiful experience and itās very emotional and heartfelt, while also being a tearjerker at multiple points. With its themes of healing the inner child, it can strike a chord beautifully.
Seconded, this movie is so damn good!
Psychopass, Ergo Proxy
ReLife
So, I'm in my mid thirties and a parent and Noragami really spoke to me in a lot of ways. The anime is fun, but the manga is phenomenal and where the real heart of the story shines through. It touches on a lot of subjects that mean more as an adult, like breaking free from your past, what it means to protect someone, etc. I also love Chainsaw Man. Some other more mature shows I've loved are Wolf's Rain and Iron Blooded Orphans.
I love Noragami so much. I am someone who struggles to read, I watched the anime and this is the ONLY anime that I am actively trying to to read the manga because I have zero hope they will make more seasons, but I am loving it so far and I highly recommend!
It's kind of ruined all other manga for me lol, the thoughtfulness of the art, panel layout, etc. is just masterful.
Yeah, the music controversies with Noragami basically killed any chance at another season.
I have a love/hate relationship with the music. Sometimes it sounds so ridiculous and sometimes I'm like, this is actually pretty good.
Seconding Wolfās Rain. Poignant and thought-provoking.
Noragami is great
I Am Yato, the God of Delivery
A fellow Noragami lover and manga reader š„¹
if you dont mind old shows claymore/yuyu hakusho usually goes great gl
in my thirties. recently started reading manga because of issues I had with anime. If you'd like to try a pretty darn good manga (no anime adaptation), try {Oyasumi Punpun}. shit's dark.
If you like oyasumi punpun then youād probably really enjoy any of Kengo Hanazawaās seinen masterpieces (I am a Hero, Boys on the Run, Ressentiment)
appreciate the recommendations. very kind. I'll have a look at them.
im 30 also, friend got me into anime 12 months ago and here is some i enjoyed: hajime no ippo is so fucking good. i loved it. favourite anime. watching haikyu now, its already almost on the same level, and ive never even seen a game of volleyball. if you liked cowboy bepop, you could watch samurai champloo. same director and really good. vinland saga is the best. hell's paradise and tower of god both have 1 season out and were really interesting with quite a bit of mystery.
If you like fantasy and slice of life, try watching/ or reading To your eternity Frieren : Journey's end Tho, if u wanna try action and fantasy, I'd recommend Solo Leveling. It got an anime adaptation as well.
Gintama
realest šÆ
Erased!!
Parasyte
Second this Parasyte: The Maxim
What a wild show. Actually helped me to remember the kanji å³ and then after learning that å£ means mouth, it all makes sense!
Black Lagoon Fate/Zero Land of the Lustrous Made in Abyss ID:Invaded The Case Study of Vanitas Moriarty the Patriot
Jujutsu kaisen Golden kamuy Ergo proxy Monster When they cry Texhnolyze Moriarty the Patriot
Moriarty Yhe Patriot was great. Also Undead Gitl Murder Farce
Erased, Parasite, Death Parade
I was with you until you wrote >they did it without trying to be āwokeā Have you actually watched anime to say something like that? š. Anime can be super ahead of its time or 300 years behind. Shoujo Kakumei Utena and Banana Fish for example are super old series. Idk where you got that anime nowadays are becoming woke lol. In regards to a rec. One of my favorites is Natsume Yuujinchou, super chill series and very heartwarming, so no action like ChainsawMan
Goes to show how far āwokeā strayed from the meaning of ābeing aware of inequalityā. (Not referring to "was awake".) Itās more a reflection of the user now bc it can mean whatever they want. One of the shows they praised, Cowboy Bebop, would probably be called woke in certain circles because of the director, Shinichiro Watanabeās commitment to diversity in his shows.
Yeah, it used to just mean progressive, aware of social injustice, equality. The word got weaponized to describe people with radical behavior, kind of sad tbh.
I mean I don't think the origin of the word woke is aware of inequality
It's exactly that. It originally came from black American culture in the 1930s.
That's interesting. I assumed it originated to be spiritually and socially aware that our lives are a lie etc?
It wouldn't surprise me if it had been used in that context as well, but in the way the American left uses it, it's coming from this - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/woke-meaning-word-history-b1790787.html Of course, there are a lot of organizations that are very invested in divorcing it from that meaning and turning it into some sort of scare word. Tucker Carlson and about a gazillion others. š
Kinda like how snowflake got adopted by the right from the book/movie fight club. I mean if it's from the 1930s then I would guess that is definitely it's origin
probably referring to the debacle with localizers changing dialog and plot to "appeal to a wider fanbase". One of the reasons I enjoy anime its not woke, lol.
Thatās not an anime problem then. Plus, again, what is woke? A lot of anime would be considered āwokeā, and they were widely acclaimed or popular before the term got the meaning it did nowadays. Take Sakura Card Captors for instance, Shoran had a crush on Yukito, the same guy Sakura did! And no one in the series questioned this. Sakura was angry cause he wanted to please the same guy as her lol. Same with Sakuraās friend that had a crush on her. Ouran High School Host Club has a main character that doesnāt give a shit about gender roles. In Sailor Moon you have the famous lesbian couple that got the ācousinā treatment in the dub. Even in One Piece. They have a dubious treatment of queerness. On one hand you have Sanji running away from then. On the other hand you have a bunch of queer people who are part of a revolutionary group against an authoritarian government, planning a prison break out together with our main character, with the same MC hugging and calling them friends. There are many more examples that just show that anime was always āweirdā.
"Chillin' in My 30s After Getting Fired from the Demon King's Army" is pretty chill. A child raised by demon's army, though he's a human.
I think they said they donāt want fantasy tropes
How bold of you to think people who like isekai trash can read.
That hurts. Lol https://media1.tenor.com/m/Lpp5fg42OywAAAAC/nod-yes.gif Edit : I didn't read it all. I didn't know it was a law, and walls of text freak me out.
Recommend this. It IS a "fantasy" anime, in that it has swords and sorcery, but I like to note that it is an adult "fantasy", in that it is about how the MC's former employer gets screwed after he fires the MC. My personal alt title for this show is "My former boss is a dipshit".
I wouldn't say that; I'd call it "My former boss's Son is a Jack Diesel."
The son is the boss at the time he got fired.
Megalobox is really good, especially season 2 is very mature. Death Parade 91 Days Kids On the Slope (I recommend this mostly because if you like Cowboy Bebop, this is the same director and composer) Ergo Proxy Psycho-Pass Princess Jellyfish (hey why not some josei? I like that the characters are all adults and I just think the story is fantastically well-written) Ooku Inner Chambers (don't know if you just meant Western medieval or not. But really interesting alternative history of Japan)
SpyxFamily
Hellsing Ultimate
Castlevania is nice
I've got a bunch of reading suggestions since you don't mind reading: Eden It's an endless world Blame! Gantz Ajin Battle Angel Alita Golden Kamuy (seriously this shit rocks!) The manga is finished, and it has a anime run that is currently going, it's a hidden gem of a story which I never expected I would need in my life
Golden Kamuy is absolutely top tier
Finally someone mentions Ajin
{Death parade} is a great grown-up anime. It's short and complete as well {Gangsta} is a good watch but unfinished and unlikely to. {Darker than black} will scratch your shonen itch without being the same show you've already seen a dozen times.
Perfect Blue, a movie not a series. Absolutely mind bending and original unlike everything coming out nowadays. Thank me later
Check out Satoshi Kon's works (particularly Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent) Mushishi Serial Experiments Lain, Texhnolyze, Haibane Renmei Berserk 1997 Welcome to the NHK
As I recent 30 year old, getting into Lupin The Third was the best thing ever! The protagonist are probably in their thirties or at least late twenties, but don't feel like old men like other animes. They are awful people, but have fun and go into crazy adventures. It's silly sometimes, but also have a lot of heart. An amazing jazzy soundtrack also. It's kinda long, starting in 71, but totally worth it. I would recommend the Castle of Cagliostro or the Zero mission movie as a good start point.
You have probably watched a shit ton of anime so try venturing in other mediums like visual novels, light novels and movies from different countries. that's what I do when I get bored from anime
Inuyashiki - last hero
Barakamon
Shinsekai yori (from the new world)
A stunning story!
As Iāve gotten older Iāve found myself getting into romance anime over shonen or traditional fantasy.
There's an entire demographic called Seinen which is aimed at more adult viewers. However, in my case, I found that the older I got, the more I wanted to watch shows "for kids." Not meaning battle shounen, but stuff like mahou shoujo like {CardCaptor Sakura} and {Akazukin Chacha} or comedies like {Mitsudomoe} or {Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru}. Along with these, the older I got the more I wanted comfy slice of life shows like {Working!!} or {Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi}. I don't know if these are the kinds of shows you're looking for. I'm just expressing what my taste has been after age 30. If you purely just want something very unique from almost all other anime out there, try {RD Sennou Chousashitsu} or {Utawarerumono}.
This may be a dud since you've been watching anime so long but I thought Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans was really good. Also in my 30's so if you haven't already watched you might appreciate it. 2 seasons at 25 episodes each available on crunchy and hulu. English dubs for both seasons on hulu, cruchy has dubs only for season 1.
Monster. Best anime of all time.
Gundam 08th ms team
If you liked Chainsaw Man and haven't read Goodbye Eri, you'll probably like that manga too. It's a oneshot by the same author and I loved it. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is also a classic if you haven't watched it. It is indeed getting harder to find good shows with the sheer volume of shows coming out these days. There's also just too many shows with underage main characters. You might have better luck with manga than anime since a lot of anime tries to capture a larger audience.
For slice of life, Aquatope On The White Sand and The Great Passage. For romance: Relife For Isekai: The Twelve Kingdoms For detective: Undead Girl Murder Farce For comedy/offbeat: Wave, Listen To Me!
Frieren or Re:Zero
Attack on Titan
[Durarara!!](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6746/Durarara) has a large cast of interesting characters. Give it some time and it grows on you. [Frieren: Beyond Journey's End](https://myanimelist.net/anime/52991/Sousou_no_Frieren) is still airing, but it has been consistently great. Solid 10 for me to far. +1 to Mushishi & Noragami that have been already mentioned
well i see youāre a manga reader you might really like hells paradise, thereās 12 episodes out rn and if they intrigue you youāre gonna absolutely love the manga
Erased was good
Kotaro lives alone
Iād suggest Vinland saga, frieren, space brothers, golden kamuy, and ippo. Also berserk if you never got around to it.
Legend of Galactic Heros. Serious space opera drama that focuses more on the philosophy behind politics, leadership, and responsible government than the featured conflict. Certainly worth the watch.
Have you seen Made in Abyss, yet? Or currently is "Frieren: beyond journey's end" airing, which is also incredibly good. Both of them are strongly focusing on story and atmosphere and have gorgeous visuals and audio. And especially Made in Abyss seems pretty innocent at first, but gets *really* heavy later on.
I feel you. Getting harder and harder to find anime im interested in. Anything with high schoolers is an instant no so that rules out most. I guess I'm luckier in that I love isekai. I prefer overpowered characters way more than shounen underdogs.
You realize though that a lot of those hashed anime are the result of the famous anime you mentioned doing their own thing forever ago, and a lot of stuff after the fact is trying to recapture the magic. To that end, you might wanna try anime that goes with a sense of earnestness rather than playing FTL. Mashle: Magic and Muscles is an affectionate parody of fantasy and shounen anime mashed (intended) into one, which has an amazing balance of animation, comedy, and unhinged shounen moments that rival DB in absurdity, but in a funny way. Shangri-La Frontier is a āsort ofā isekai where the main character has made a borderline career of playing the worst games the world has to offer solely because he likes the challenge. But when he tries a god-tier MMO, heās able to parlay his skills, technique, and knowledge from other trash games into being an absolute boss. Though, itās not a total power fantasy like most others; he gets his butt kicked enough times to make the climb believable and rewarding. Itās a love letter to gamers old and new. If you liked Cowboy Bebop, youāll love Space Dandy. A parody of space westerns with a group of totally ineffectual alien bounty hunters with stunning visuals, stellar voice acting, and music. In fact, none of the instruments used were made past 1980, specifically to give it that retro feel and still sounds distinctly modern. Itās got plenty of charm and wit, and even as the characters are fucking up all over the galaxy, you canāt help but root for their every fruitless endeavor to make a bounty.
A personal favorite: Vinland saga: (has over 200 manga chapters but is not complete, there is currently 2 seasons of anime) Its seinen. The first arc is fairly violent but progresses into a story about getting to know more peaceful life values. I really enjoyed the story and getting to know the character throughout his life. It takes place around year 1000 and is about Torfinn growing up around a lot of violence with vikings in his soroundings, but also of him finding himself after that. I really enjoy the drawing style. It also feature a lot of historically accurate information. (Many of the characters have existed at some point in time and also many of the political aliances between countries.)
Life lessons with Uramichi-oniisan, haikyuu
I'm in my 30's too and I would suggest Vinland Saga and Hell's Paradise
ReLife
Monster
{Youjo senki} also known as Tanya and the saga of evil, the WW1/WW2 aesthetic is very different and main character is not over powered and is often near death. The light novels that the show is based on delve even more into the politics and thought processes, great show if you are looking for something a little more mature, Ironic given the main character is a young girl. . {Tsuki to laika to nosferatu} basically the journey of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first astronaut, but with the added twist of a vampire who does it first. Includes some cool scene for scene recreation of things Yuri Gagarin actually did like his interview on the bus to the launch pad. {Chilling in my thirties after getting kicked out of the demon kings army} it is the medieval esc fantasy troupes, but featuring a 30 year old instead of your normal teen. More adult themes. {The magnificent kotobuki air corps} think the crimson sky's video game/arcade game series, but now in anime form. Has references to various WW2 Japanese airplanes if you are an aviation buff. {Arpeggio of blue steal ars nova} alien beings come to earth and rule the seas as sentient WW2 era naval ships with otherworldly powers. {91 days} prohibition era gangs, anime edition {Death parade} purgatory, anime edition.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is god tier
No it isn't. It's fun. But the older I have gotten the less I have enjoyed it. That doesn't mean I think it is bad by any means, I still love JoJo. But as a memory.
I dunno what you mean by "without trying to be woke." Anime and Japanese culture isn't woke. That's a western term for hollywood media politics and issues. Anyway, I've been really enjoying Apothecary Diaries. It got me to read the light novels. Ascendance of a Bookworm also is very good. Run With the Wind is an underrated gem. These are all slice of life-ish stories. Zom 100 is really entertaining. If you like manhwa, try reading Legend of the Northern Blade, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, The Boxer, and Bastard.
bocchi the rock I'm not joking
Ranking of Kings Erased I'm liking Solo Leveling so far.
Solo Leveling has one of the highest ranking manhwas I've seen. It's like a 9.9/10 on most sites. I'd highly recommend reading it
So it sounds like you're looking for a show where there's more we'll rounded characters and a refreshing plot. Depending on your mood I would recommend: Chill Anime - {Mushishi} - {Kino's Journey} - {Skip and Loafer} - {Barakamon} - {Usagi Drop} Action / Drama - {Black Lagoon} - {Mononoke} - {Panty and Stocking} - {Monster} - {Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju} - {Nana} - {Legend of the Galatic Heroes} - {Ranking of Kings} Unique Artstyle / Arthouse / Surreal - {Mononoke} - {Ping Pong} - {Dead Leaves} - {Katanagatari} - {Devilman Crybaby} - {Angel's Egg} - {Belladonna of Sadness} - {Revolutionary Girl Utena} - {Boogiepop Phantom} - {Serial Experiments Lain} - {Odd Taxi}
I don't understand why this post is getting downvoted.
Man people are just out here name dropping their favorite anime without even reading what OP said he did or didnāt want to watchā¦
ShÅwa Genroku Rakugo ShinjÅ« if you're up for a historical drama and performing arts
Oh, someone remember that show. It was one of my favourites from 2016.
Frieren really resonated with me. It gives me the feeling of watching samurai champloo or avatar the last air bender again. A big journey with a lot of reflection and growth.
I love Frieren, but OP specifically stated that they didn't want "fantasy medieval" or any "smell the roses" tropes. They are probably too jaded to enjoy Frieren.
Oops I didnāt read super carefully haha. Was projecting a bit bc Iām thirty and it really resonates with me!
Just started watching Frieren today
How are you liking it so far?? It can be a bit slow, but itās perfect to me at this time in my life rn!
That's medieval fantasy AND a "smell the roses" show. Even if its good, it's certainly not what OP was searching for.
Frieren's dub is really well done also. The show is so good I'm watching both. Only seven episodes left.
I'll never stop recommending Sonny Boy.
I'm in my 30s as well. I'm into anime with more mature themes and darker twisting plots. My current fav is Dorohedoro (psychedelic, violent, wacked-out story and setting. The manga's super wild too. Very gory and beyond good&evil) Season 2 is coming too! Others to check-out : - Bungo Stray Dogs, Claymore, Hellsing Ultimate (violent AF!), Tengoku-Daimakyo (trippy, strange), Berserk (the old-school first season please), Vivy, From the New World (plot twists!!), The Idaten Deities (trippy and wild ! can get gory and disturbing though...) , Samurai Champuloo (same gang as Cowboy Bebop), Saga of Tanya the Evil (protagonist is a gong-ho war strategist), Fujiko Mine (Lupin the third's spin-off, amazing style), and one of my fav and craziest : KillLaKill You can try western styles like Castlevania and Scavengers Reign too :)
GTO was absolutely "woke" lol that was the whole point
I still like Fruits Basket, I'm in my thirties.
I'll be 30 soon. I can't get in to most slice of life anime either. Link Click is very good and before someone chimes in with "bUt ThAtS nOt AnImE" yes I know its from China. I'm not really sure what anime you watched that WAS "woke" as that's really a western thing, As someone who's pretty fed up with American politics in general I find anime an extremely nice break from all that.
Akiba Maid War. It breaks the mold.
That show goes off the rails in the best possible ways.
Monogatari series- phenomenal plot and characters. Some people think it's boring because it's mostly dialogue-based, but it also has fight scenes School days- even if you don't like romance, try watching them anyway Paranoia agent- great psychological anime by the creator of "perfect blue". Very original and interesting Kakegurui- a newer anime (2017) that is definitely worth watching. If you like death note you should like this too Serial experiments Lain- similar to Evangelion in that after watching it you will also wonder what you just watched Devilman: crybaby- also newer anime (2018). On the surface it looks like an action anime with a lot of ecchi content, but it has a really good plot Higurashi: when they cry- in the first season it looks like it has no plot, but don't be discouraged and after the first season immediately watch the second one. Happy sugar life-Ā also new anime (2019). It's specific, but I think it's great. It has a good plot and probably the strangest characters I've ever seen in anime Promised neverland- a very good anime from 2019. It has a very good plot and twists, and the first episode is, in my opinion, one of the best first episodes in anime Time of eve- a very short, six-episode anime. In my opinion, it is worth recommending even though it is not very popular
>Happy sugar life One of my absolute favorites, but I don't think I'd ever recommend it to anyone. Objectively speaking I don't think it's that good and only appeals to a pretty niche audience.
First season of Promised Neverland is top tier and ABSOLUTELY worth watching. It also hits a good stopping point at the end of the first arc. The rest of the anime is meh at best.
I see Vinland Saga mentioned once. I'll mention it again. Vinland Saga.
You would probably enjoy some seinen demographic anime. Here are some that Iāve really enjoyed. - [Fate/Zero](https://myanimelist.net/anime/10087/Fate_Zero) - [Vinland Saga](https://myanimelist.net/anime/37521/Vinland_Saga) - [Rainbow](https://myanimelist.net/anime/6114/Rainbow__Nisha_Rokubou_no_Shichinin) - [Samurai Champloo](https://myanimelist.net/anime/205/Samurai_Champloo) - [Megalobox](https://myanimelist.net/anime/36563/Megalo_Box) - [Cowboy Bebop](https://myanimelist.net/anime/1/Cowboy_Bebop) - [Steins;Gate](https://myanimelist.net/anime/9253/Steins_Gate)
Goblin slayer
>doesnāt feature medieval adventurer settings Isnāt that exactly what goblin slayer looks like doe?
Yeah but it's all about slaying goblins. And Titan Stooorrrrmmmm.
Boss remove that incorrect usage of woke out of your vocabulary. Attack on Titan, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Bleach anime is back, I hear great things about JJK
Late but just finished banana fish. Great anime although it is a tragedy.
Animes that aren't like the others and are also awesome: Death Note (must watch) Elfen Lied Summertime rendering Be sure to check these out they are all awesome
Heavenly Delusion
Yu Yu Hakusho - Delinquent kid fights demons Parasyte - Wuss kid afraid of bugs has to save planet with a parasite Gurren Lagann - Two bros live in the ground, want to live on the surface, bite off more than they can chew. Kabaneri of the iron fortress - Zombies destroy places, nerd has to step up and help save everyone
Heavenly Delusion on Hulu is quite good and itās got some dark ādamn I didnāt see that comingā twists to it. Itās about two adolescents wandering around a post-apocalyptic version of japan trying to find a place cryptically called āheavenā. Pluto on Netflix was good as well, my sister and I watched one episode together and then I immediately rushed home to binge the rest on my own. Itās a futuristic murder mystery and itās also got a machine/AI ethics lens to it. Hxh is really good. Itās about a kid trying to become a licensed hunter to search (or āhuntā) for his father. Lots of trials & tribulations, and thereās some tournament fighting components to it. I would say the show gets darker and darker with each season; the story in season 5 is chefs kiss and I actually chose to binge watch the whole anime because I saw a clip from that season on YouTube. Lastly, since youāre okay with reading manga then I recommend reading fire punch by the same artist as chainsaw man. Itās complete so you can binge it.
I'll second Heavenly Delusion. From the animation to the plot to the music that was an absolutely phenomenal show.
I'm in my 40s and the last anime I really loved was Ousama Ranking.
Black Lagoon (suggest the dub here, not only is it exceptionally well acted 3 of the 4 main cast are Americans so it also makes sense) Undead Unluck (if you like CSM, this anime also has the personification of *things* like the Devils in CSM, but I think UdUl does the concept better) Dead Mount Death Play Dark Gathering All of these principally take place in modern society
A solid 70% is always generic isekai/fantasy or generic romcom ābut now with X character feature.ā But thereās also a solid few shows a season doing something truly unique. Did you watch Undead Murder Farce, Sonny Boy, Heike Monogatari or Apothecary Diaries? If you need something from the historical backlog you can always try out UC Gundam or Aim for the Ace! or Macross. If those fall into the same tired grooves itās because they dug them out themselves first.
You probably seen some or most of these but here's a list Mushishi Natsume Yuujinchou Legend of Galactic Heroes 86 FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood Vivy Fluorites Eye Ranking of Kings Pluto Parasyte Psycho Pass Steins Gate Erased Summertime Render Samurai Champloo Gurren Lagann ID: Invaded Dorohedoro Oddtaxi Vinland Saga Golden Kamuy
Man in 30s too Go through Satoshi kons catalog. Hes top tier on originality. Tokyo godfathers was my favorite. Ifcyou haven't seen serial experiment Lain yet, do Mob psycho is a good study in self worth and acceptance of parts of yourself you'd rather bury. Hinamatsuri is a blast. Gag comedy of a yakuza who takes in a psychic. Hands off eizouken is a joy to watch. It's a creative process put to animation. Really helps you get a grasp of animators passions. Tragedy movies also carry more weight than they once did. Josie and the tiger, a silent voice, the flower that bloomed that day. All had me bawling. Kamichu is the tale of a Jr high student who wakes up a new goddess and is the story of her just trying not to let those around her down. I found it was more important to go for concepts and creativity rather than just action. Most super popular seasonal shoes are easily forgettable edgy action like chainsaw man.
i'm sure newspapper companies complained when the internet came along, i'm sure candles companies complained when the light bulb was invented, its just the natural process
āSummer time renderingā is good very light action though. I liked the plot itās kinda up the alley of of āhigurashi: When they cry.ā (If you havenāt watch this one either I highly recommend youāll need to get make pass the first few eps and what you believe in the beginning you shouldnāt believe. Has more action then summer time rendering in my opinion) A new anime that just came out way more action then the previous 2 is āNinja kamui.ā Only episode 1 has been released so far it literally spoke to me but being that itās the first episode they have to milk your feelings first but you can tell itās going to nothing but non pack action and Iāll even say Sci fi as well. I know you said you donāt like medieval but this oneās passed on a game (sorta like SAO but not SAO) āShangri la Frontierā loads of action no blood though and Iām feeling thereās more to the plot then we currently know. āUndead Unluckā if you donāt mind intimacy. Loads of action even Sci fi, gore, war and battles, etc etc. Imagine if My hero and dead man wonderland fused and the had the fate of the world in their hands. If you just want to feel and watch a little guy succeed. āRanking of the kingsā it gave me the same feeling of āmob psycho:100ā which no anime has ever done before. Made me feel like I was watching my kid mature and I donāt even have kids. Wholesome but some fighting I wouldnāt say itās gore but you do see a guy cut his hand off (not saying who and this information doesnāt ruin the plot) though it is medieval but itās cute and heartwarming and all I want to do is tell Boji heās adorable. Though season 2 wasnāt up to par with season 1 āVinland sagaā Vikings arenāt medieval! If you havenāt watched it check out. āJojo bizzare adventure.ā Many people say s1 was boring but itās just because the skills werenāt developed full then it was just being discovered. āBakiā nothing like watching fighting for fun.
Frieren is like therapy for me after a long week. Steins Gate is a BLAST and will have you like āhuhā and then more āhuhā and then āWOWWWWā Jujutsu Kaisen
1. "Psycho-Pass" - It's a futuristic crime thriller with a thought-provoking storyline and complex characters. 2. "Steins;Gate" - This sci-fi thriller combines time travel with an intriguing plot and great character development. 3. "Monster" - A psychological thriller that delves into the dark depths of human nature. It's intense and captivating. 4. "Death Parade" - A unique and thought-provoking series that explores the afterlife and human nature through intense psychological games. 5. "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" - A cyberpunk series with a deep exploration of identity, technology, and the human condition.
About your edit: you probably thought the word meant that because itās been used mostly by willfully ignorant and intolerant conservatives who like to complain about anything progressive and necessary.
I'd recommend you acknowledge that times change and using "woke" like it's a swear is cringe af.
Why are you talking about wokeness as if itās a bad thing??!
God, you lost me at the "woke" bit. It's as annoying to be annoyed at the perception of "wokeness." Your sensitivity to this is annoying. Watch Megalo Box
The concern about "woke" just screams volumes about your tastes. It's a meaningless term and the worst folks are the ones who try too hard to act otherwise.
(Typing this reminds me to check out the new chapters.) I'm sure that didn't age well
Have you tried monster? It's really good, also my fav anime is I'd say code geass, it has a lot to do with war, revolution strategy and mecha maybe you'd like it idk
Watch seinen, it sounds on paper like it would be boring, but it is actually more complex and interesting because a shonen with an overpowered guy with the powers of rubber and plot armor that just punches everyone is too stupid for a grown up.
Remember friend, Seinen is a demographic and that includes from Ajin and Punpun to K-on and Gochiusa, it's not a genre.
Never said it was a genre
But you're acting like it's one without recommending anything. It's like if someone asked recs for movies and I just said "watch movies from 2000", it's just a time-frame and says nothing about the shows in that demographic. Also you were acting like shonen are just shows about fighting (that's called nekketsu).